Amscope Stereo Microscope w/USB Digital Camera

bottleguy

Well, my Stereo Microscope finally arrived today. I'm extremely pleased with the optics, but I'll have to fiddle with some of the settings for using the USB camera attachment. Here are the first few pics I've taken with the microscope right out of the box....... no size adjustments or Photoshop tweaking. The software allows me to adjust contrast, brightness, hue, gamma, saturation, white balances, etc., etc., etc. These pics were also taken using the halogen light attached to the microscope. I'm going to have to try some alternate lighting, also....... but all in all I'm happy with the new toy!!

Rick

coinman420

thats pretty good right out of the box, play with the white balance to get more natural colors.


edited to add: unless that is the way the 1909-S really looks in which case its been harshly cleaned.

ibzman350

neatoe................I know what I'm getting for xmas




Herb

hubird

nifty. Can you take a pic of the entire coin, demonstrating its views from far away, so-to-speak, then zooming in a bit at a time through a series of three or four pics, down to a single point? Is it possible to keep the balanced view focused and with proper color? TIA

edit: ALSO, how is this setup for viewing coins while handling them under lowest power magnification? TIA, deaux

pharmer

Now that I would buy, hubird. Very good idea.

hubird

Thanks pharmer. This unit is quite similar to the trinocular setup I was asking about several weeks ago. I used to use one when I worked with benthic critters from coral reefs and doing a bit of marine botany work. They are a blast. I think I'll have to get one for my own now that I'm getting into closer examination of coins. Do it to it for Christmas!

edit: That version of this scope with the 1.3 MP camera is a real doozy. The difference in price though would buy a nice coin or two...

dwssws

that is a nice setup! and since my qx5 will not work with vista guess I know what I am getting myself

ricko

Very nice... Cheers, RickO

Silverstate

Rick, Can you post a full coin pic.

Love the close ups but want to see what full coin shots are like.

ziggy29

<< <i>Rick, Can you post a full coin pic.

Love the close ups but want to see what full coin shots are like. >>

That's what I'd like to see. The QX5 is good for finding and taking close-up snapshots of a variety on part of a coin, but it can't even get the whole coin in focus on a dime.

mrearlygold

Boy oh boy that's great! Mind if I ask what camera ( and lighting ) you are using to attach to the scope and how difficult was it to attach?

seemyauction

<< <i>Boy oh boy that's great! Mind if I ask what camera ( and lighting ) you are using to attach to the scope and how difficult was it to attach? >>




The USB digital camera offers 640x480 resolution and is compatible with Windows 98/2000/XP/Vista. With the user friendly software included, you can edit microscope images in the same way as you use PhotoShop.


Alan

bottleguy

The microscope comes with a 1x and 3x objective, along with 5x and 10x eyepieces. You insert either the 5x eyepieces to view at 5x and 15x, or the 10x eyepieces to view at 10x and 30x, respectively. The camera comes with the unit and is inserted with an adapter into either one of the eyepiece recepticles. Lighting is provided by either the halogen light attached to the unit behind the objective, or you can use your own light off to the side.

As far as field of view, with either the 5x or 10x eyepieces installed with the objective set to 1x, a dime almost fills the field of view. Setting the objective to the 3x setting just about cuts the field of view in half.

The camera has it's own preset magnification and, as far as I can tell, is not physically adjustable, nor can the magnification be changed through the software. Therefore, with the camera installed, only two magnification factors can be achieved by setting the objective to either the 1x or 3x setting. Examples of the two settings are shown in my two pictures of the 1909-S cent.

The bottom line is, taking pictures of whole coins of any size cannot be done with the camera setup (as far as I can tell), although, as mentioned, a dime-size (or smaller) coin can be seen in it's entirety through the 5x and 10x eyepieces with the objective set at 1x.

I hope this makes sense.........

Rick

*edited for spelling

coincollector2007

Rick,

Are you selling these?

bottleguy

Naw.... I bought this one from the AmScope Website..

Rick

mrearlygold

Rick can you show a pic of the set up ?

bottleguy

Here's how I have it set up. The camera is inserted into the left eyepiece recepticle and connected to the computer via USB cable. I use the right eyepiece for physical viewing, using either the 5x or 10x eyepiece. For alternative lighting, I have the drafting lamp setup to the side and use a "blue" CFL as a bulb.

Gotta' run, but I can post more pictures later. There's a link in my first post to the unit available on the AmScope website.

Thanks,

Rick

mrearlygold

Wow, seems so simple. Will this also take a full size shot or do you need to disconnect the camera? What camera are you using? ( I'm ready to buy this one. This would be so helpful in imaging varieties on many of the coins I handle)

Thank you for your help.

northcoin

Thanks for a most interesting thread. I picked up a toy for my grandchild at Costco which in effect is a microscope that plugs into one's TV. Now your have me wondering if that can be modified to take photos as well. It is called something "eye" and costs around $39 as I recall. Supposedly it is on one of those lists of the hottest new toys for the Christmas Season.

northcoin

Anyone tried out the big Eye "toy" to see if it has numismatic potential? The Big Eye

Griv

I use an Amscope myself and have been really happy with it.

Trimble

That is one sweet set-up bottleguy. Is that the actual camera on the top left side?